The Dry Dock That Put Puget Sound on the Navy's Map

WASHINGTON CITY, March 1.—[Special.]—The Post this morning had the following: During the debate yesterday on the naval appropriations bill Senator Squire secured an increase of the appropriation for the dry dock at the naval station at Port Orchard, Puget Sound, from $225,000, as it stood in the bill, to $300,000. This is an important matter, not only from a local but a national point of view. The act creating this naval station authorized the construction of the dry dock at a cost not exceeding $700,000. The contract was let for the sum of $490,500, and at the last session $200,000 was appropriated for commencing the work. The amount secured by Senator Squire will therefore be sufficient to complete the dock at the earliest possible day and pay the amount of the contingent expenses.

With all the great naval and commercial interests on the Pacific, the United States has only one dry dock, that at Mare Island, San Francisco. It is well known that barnacles accumulate on the bottoms of iron ships very rapidly in the waters of the Pacific—so much so as to decrease the speed of our fast cruisers at least 50 per cent, rendering docking necessary at least every six months. It is therefore a matter of great interest to our ships cruising in the waters of the Pacific that this dock on Puget Sound should be made ready for service at the earliest possible day. This will be secured by the extra appropriation granted by Senator Squire's amendment, and a benefit will be conferred on naval and marine interests beyond all proportion to the small extra amount of $75,000 added to the appropriation.